LAS CRUCES >> A healthy horse and revived swagger arrived just in time for Meghan Johnson.

This year, for the first time in her relatively young barrel racing career, Johnson qualified for the Turquoise ProRodeo Circuit Finals, a popular three-day competition that starts Thursday and coincides with the Southern New Mexico State Fair in Las Cruces.

Johnson, a 20-year-old college student from Deming, and her horse roll into the rodeo branding-iron hot. Last weekend, competing with the New Mexico State University rodeo team, she won the barrel racing event in Douglas, Ariz.

"It was just my time, I guess," she said.

It has been for several weeks.

Johnson's win in Arizona followed a burst of success in the summer rodeo season, a run that pushed her into the Turquoise ProRodeo Circuit Finals.

Early in the season, it seemed Johnson was destined to miss event for the third-straight year. She failed to win any money at five-straight rodeos. Her longtime partner Nellie, a 10-year-old quarter horse, had a chronic injury.

Just before the college national final, Johnson took Nellie to the veterinarian.

"She said I could rodeo as much as I wanted," Johnson said. "That sling-shotted me into the summer season."

She won a round at the national college rodeo, then took home winnings at events in Santa Fe, Raton and Colorado. With that binge, Johnson earned three times as much prize money as she had last year and qualified for the Turquoise ProRodeo Circuit Finals.

Johnson and the other competitors -- there are 12 in each event -- will have a chance this weekend to earn a spot in the Ram National Circuit Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City next year. The winners of the Las Cruces rodeo, and the year end leaders in the earnings standings will qualify, said longtime local rodeo competitor Shain Sproul.

Louie, a 4-year-old alpaca, seems to smile at the camera on Wednesday in the Runyan Ranch Rescue Zoo tent at the Southern New Mexico State Fair. Children can feed numerous animals, including, pigs, camels and goats. (Robin Zielinski Sun-News)

Sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association, the Turquoise Circuit is one of 12 regional division around the country. The regions allow cowboys and cowgirls that don't compete in national-level events to travel locally for rodeos. Officials call them "weekend cowboys."

Still, Turquoise Circuit general manager Mary Borgen said Las Cruces rodeo fans will "get to see the best contestants for all of the events."

A few will be familiar to those that follow the esteemed NMSU rodeo team. Besides Johnson, current Aggie Tyke Kipp, from Lordsburg, and NMSU assistant coach Tony Buckman will compete.

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